Bumper construction



Feb. 19, 1924. 1,484,157

. J R. PLANK BUMPER cousnucfrcml Filed May 28, .i923 2 sheets-sheet 2;'

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Petemea Feb. 19, 1924.

, UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J 4RAYMOND PLANE, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 E. LIVER ANCE, JR., F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

BUMPER CONSTRUCTION.

.Application led May 28, 1923. Serial No.' 641,981.

T 0 all 'whom it may concern.

' Be it known that I, J RAYMOND PLANE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of 6 Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bumper Construction; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact ,description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to what is known as a bumper adapted to be applied at either the front or rear end of a motor vehicle as a guard against injury to the vehicle likely to comejrom collision with other vehicles, stationary objects or other objects with which it may collide. It is a primary object. and purpose of the invention to make a bumper for this purpose which is particularly capable of withstanding and absorbing the impact of collision without injury to the vehicle to which it is attached, this followe ing from the novel mmper which is constructed with a novel formci impact absorbing member located between theiront rail of the bumper and the rear rail or bar thereof which is attached directly by means of suitable brackets to the ends of the chassis frame members of the vehicle.4 Other subsidiary objects, relating to novel constructions and arrangements of parts for the ractical and workmanlike construction andp assembly of the parts making up the bumperwill appear, as understandingof the invention is had from'the cllcwing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view 'of the bumper made in accordancewith my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section and enlarged, showing one end of the bumper and the connecting means used for connectin the ends of the front rail and the ends of t e spring impact members.

Fig. `3 is a fragmentaryrear elevation of an end ofthe-bumper.

Fig.4 is aefagmentary enlarged horizontal section of a modified form of construction for the end of the bumper.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of said modified construction. l

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation ofthe end of the impact s ring used with the, construction shown in -igS. 4 and construction of the' Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the connecting means used for attaching the inner meeting ends of the spring impact members with the front rail.

Fig. 8 is a Vertical section taken on the plane of line 8 8, of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary 'elevation showing the two meeting ends of the spring impact members before the attaching means is applied thereto.

Fig. 10 is a plan of another form of construction of bumper made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged Vertical section through ,the combined attaching bracket andv clip, showing the same as securing the back rail and intermediate spring impact member together.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective View thereof. v

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the vclip used for securing the front rail and the spring impact members together.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the middle portion of the front rail and the inner abutting ends of the spring impact members prior to the application ofthe securing clip thereto, and y y Fig. 15 is an enlargedtransverse section on the plane of line 15-15, of Fig. 10.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the construction of the bumper a back bar or rail 1 of fiat bar stock is used which is adapted to be permanently secured to the ends 01"' the side frame members of the chassis, brackets 2 being used for such connection which at one end are formed with clips 3 to pass over the bar, being v'secured adjustably thereto by means of the usual securing y bolts shown. c Y

' The front rail 4 of the bumper is also `of fla-t metal of the same width' as bar 1, preferably, but may be of less thickness. This bar in the completed bumper is curved in the arc or' a circle having a long radius and' at each end 1s curved backwardly 'making a smooth bend 5. At one end of said bend 5, y y

the metal is cut and a lug 6 turned at right angles from the -middle portion of the stock for a purpose which will later appear.

The spring impact members are disposed between the front rail and back bar. There are two of these members of identical construction, each at its outer end yhaving a.

ber is then formed into a loop and .then reversely curved, as at 10v and formed into a lil . the loop 11 each member is reversely curved.

relatively large loop 11 which in the assembled structure vbears with considerable pressure against the rear side of the front rail 4 but is not connected thereto. From and bent as indicated at 12 and then formed into a loo 13 bearing against the back bar 1 to which it is secured by clip 14. From loop 13, each spring member continues and is reversely curved and bent as indicated at 15, finally terminating in a'half-loop portion 16. The .two end portions 16 of the two spring members abut at the middle of the front rail 4 and on the rear side thereof. A clip 17 wide enough to cover the ends ofthe spring members is placed thereover and passes at one side in front of the front rail, and bolts 18 pass through the sides of the clip near the free ends thereof, the lower edges of the ends 16 of the spring members being notched at 19, and the lower' edge ofthe front rail 4 be'- ing likewise notched to partly receive the bolts, thereby making a permanent locking connection which recludes any endwise movement of the spring members away from each other or with reference to the front rail, as is evident. f x

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a slight modification in construction is shown, the ends of the front rail 4 being bent back sharply upon themf selves l,as at 20, the end ofthe return portions being slit and lugs 21 turned inwardly as before, the ends of said lugs coming against `.the rear side of the front rail. "Ihe outer ends of the spring members have no bend therein but are Hat so as to pass between the rail 4 and the return portions 2O thereof, an opening 22 being made in the outer end of e each. spring memberfor the lugs 21 to pass `has an outer end portion 8a which is connected with an end of the front rail as will bev later described; Said.- outer end portions 8 means? of the two parts of the s ring impact member extend to the front si e of the back bar -or rail 1 and each is formed with a portion 23 which lies'alongside of the back rail for a'.

distance, the parts being then formed into a double reverse loop construction, the loops of which are shown at 24 and 25, the former lying behind the latter. From the loops 25 said parts are extended and formed into end portions 16, similar to the parts 16 in the structure shown in Fig. 1, the ends of which substantially abut directly back of the middle of the front rail 4. The same method of securing the abutting ends of the two parts of the springr impact member to tliefront rail, yas previously described with reference to the structure shown in Fig, 1,may be used, slip 17 and bolts 18 being used, the bolts partly seating in the notches 19a in the impact member parts, which, as I have shown in Fig. 14, are provided in both the upper and lower edges of said parts, there being no need to consider rights and lefts in the matter of the spring impact member parts in the assembly when notched in this manner. In addition,

or as a substitute, I prefer to use the connection, also shown in Fig. 14, between the adjacent ends of the two parts of the spring impact member, the adjacent ends of said parts being slotted and a member 31, similar to a dumb bell in shape, being laced therein, the

slots being shaped to fit-t e member which has enlarged ends whereby the two parts of the impact member are held against endwise separation. With such construction, the

shown in Fig. 1 may be used for attaching` the bumper to the chassis frame members o the automobile, except that instead of passing over the back bar 1 alone, the clips pass over the back bar and the adjacent part 23 of the spring impact member. In' Flgs. 10, 11 and 12, I have shown a modiiied form of structure, equivalent in all respects in which vthe bracket vand clip are combined in one ieee being made from one piece of metal. his bracket and clip comprises a rearwardly extending bracket portion 26, turned atright angles at its front end to make a side '27 to lie along the rear side of the back'rail and forming one part of the clip. Said side 27, at its upper edge is turned vforwardly substantially at right angles, making! an upper vside 28 of the clip, which is completed by a' second side 29 turned downwardly from the upper side 28 parallel to the first side 27. The back rail and contacting portion of each spring impact member are located between the sides of the clip, and the usual bolt 30 is y used to` bond the parte together. This maires y Awith a downwardly pressed Asubstantially A permits very centrally located rib 32, and the inner backwardly turned end of the part -at each end of the front rail is likewise formed with a coacting rib receiving ove 33 to receive the rib 32, the groove eing on the inner side of the part 20, and a rib made o n forming the groove on the outside. This ready assembly and a secure connection which is capable of detachment on what is known as side swiping ofthe bumper, but incapable of detachment from front blows. t is a very valuable minor feature of the invention.

This construction ot bumper has a spring impact receiving construction between the frdnt rail and back bar in both orms, so

constructed that it will yield on receiving' impact blows transmitted from the front rail and return to original position after the impact force has expended its energy. The spring members contact with the front rail and back bar at a number of points whereby there is made a very strong andperflect impact receiving construction, serving its purpose irrespective of the point or impact as applied to the `iront rail. The reverse bends in the spring members are very valuable features oi the structure, giving resiliency and resisting power and reinforcing the bumper between its ends. The spring members are ot flat stoclr, tempered and treated to withstand hard usage and in every way the structure is particularly adapted as a protective guard for motor vehicles, guarding and protecting the same against blows and collisions. The appended claims deine the invention and it is to be consideredthat all constructions coming within their scope are compreliended by my invention.

I claim:

l. A device of the class described, comprising a front rail, a member formed ot two parts located back ot the frontrail and having 'a sliding connection at their outer ends with the ends of the front rail and bearing against the said front rail substantially at the middle thereof and at the inner ends of said parts, and means for connecting said parts of the member to the front rail at said middle portion thereof, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described, comlprising a frontrail formed at each end with a short portion bent back and substantially paralleling the main portion of the rail at the ends thereof, a spring impact member located back of the front rail having ends received in the loops formed at the ends of the front rail, said `impact member including a. central portion bearing against the rear side of the front rail substantially at the middle point thereof, land means for connecting the front rail and impact member together at said point, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a front rail, a s ring impact member located back of the ont rail and comprising. two parts, the outer end of each of said parts being joined to an end of the front rail and extending inwardly therefrom and formed with sections for the connection of supporting brackets for Athe bumper thereto, said sections of the two parts lying in alinement, and means connecting the inner ends of said parts to theV front rail between the ends of said front rail.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a iront rail formed at each end with a return bend loop of iii-shape, with one side ot each loop formed with a longitudinal groove therein, a sringimpact member located back et the ont rail bearing against the front rail at its intermediate portion and having its ends received in said U- shapcd loops at the ends of the iront rail, said imp-act member at its outer ends being formed with a short longitudinal rid e to enter the said grooves in the sides of t e U- shaped loops, and means connecting the front rail and impact member together at their middle points, substantially -as de scribed.

5. A. device of the class described, comprising a iront rail, a spring impact member located back of the iront rail and formed of two parts, each having an outer end joined with an end of the front rail and then being bent away from the 'front rail for a distance and then bent to extend directly Atoward the other part for a .distance and then formed into a double reverse bend with their inner. ends coming together Iand substantially abuttin back of the front rail and at the middle t erect, and means connecting the inner ends of the said parts and the front rail together, substantially as dei A a,eee,aer\

formed into a double reverse bend` with the inner ends of the parts coming togetherat the middle and at the back of the frontvrail, and means for connecting the inner ends of the said parts together coupled with means for connecting the said parts land front rail together. 9. A device of the class described, comprising a front rail, a cushion impact member located back of the front rail, means for detachably joining the front rail said member at the .ends thereof,` andmeans for connecting the said rail and member at vtheir middles, said impact member includincr two sections inv alinement with each otlier to which connecting brackets are adapted lto be secured, substantially as described. f

10. A device of the class described, comprising a front rail having backwardly turned ends making U-shaped sockets, a spring impact member formed from flat bar material having ends received in said sockets and at its middle bearing against the front rail and formed intermediate its4 'points of connection with the rail into spring impact resisting forms, and means connecting the said member and rail at the middles thereof.

11. A device of the class described, comprising a front rail, a member locatedback of the front rail including two parts hav.

ing ends abutting directly back of and in contact with the front rail, means ier detachably connecting` said arts in alinement, and a U-shaped clip empbracing the E1-ont rail and the ends of said parts and covering said connecting means, substantially as described.

12. A device of the class described,comprising aback bar, a rontrail, and a. spring impact member connected at opposite ends f to the ends of the rail and-at its middle to the rail, and at a inralit of points in its length to the back Ew. subst scribed. v

antially aside- 13. A device ofthe class described coxnprising a back bar, a front rail, and a sprin impact member located between the bar an therail and' secured thereto, Asaid member being formed of ilat bar spring material joined at its ends to the ends of the. front Y rail and bent to alternately contact with the bar .and rail, substantially as described. 14.' A device of the class described, comrp-rising a back bar and front rail, a spring impact member located between'the bar and the rail and bent into form to contact with the front rail at its middlel and its ends and with the back bar at two spaced apart points located toward the ends of the back bar, and means positively connecting the impact member to the front rail at its middle and to the back bar at both points of contact.

15. A device of the classdescribed, comprisin a front rail, spring impact means locate back of the front rail and comprising two parts, lthe outer end of each of said parts bein joined to an end of the front .rail and exten 'ng inwardly therefrom and then bent into resilient loop formation toward the 'front rail and connected to said front rail between the ends thereof, substantially as described.

lin testimony-whereof I afix my signature.

J. RAYMOND rLANK. 

